


killer queen

by oddeyejinsol



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, and sexual overtones i guess, assassin yves, heiress haseul, rated M FOR MURDER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-10-01 18:40:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20368852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddeyejinsol/pseuds/oddeyejinsol
Summary: “Fuck,” she whispers, staring at the first picture of Haseul she’s managed to find. It’s a few years old, and she has long hair and bangs, but there’s no mistaking that face.Killing someone she’s slept with … now that’s a new one.





	killer queen

**Author's Note:**

> this is like super short but i wrote it all in two sittings and rly wanted to post it so.. here! :D

Sooyoung doesn’t usually celebrate early. She thinks it’s bad luck, and she’s quite superstitious. But even she has to break tradition every once in a while.

It’s been a wildly successful night, even by her own strict standards. Within five minutes of spotting her victim across the room and batting her eyelashes at him, he’s inviting her back to his room. Nobody sees them leave, of course. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for him to bend over the fridge to fetch some champagne, and she slips the needle into his neck with a practiced ease. Air bubble, embolism, heart attack. He’s a red-meat-loving man in a high-stress field pushing 60. No one will suspect a thing.

Even if they did, it’s not like her methods would leave behind any trace on a regular autopsy. She likes to keep things tidy.

Which is why she doesn’t usually linger in the area where she kills, always choosing to move a couple cities away the next day, just in case. Tonight, though, she decides to go for a drink. After all, she just finished a million-dollar mission in under a half hour. She thinks she deserves a treat.

While she’s sipping on her dry martini, her eyes rove automatically around the room. It’s cloudy with cigar smoke, but she can clearly identify many of the faces she sees. Businessmen, politicians, socialites … it’s her job to know these people. She even spots some of her previous employers, although of course they have no idea what she looks like.

Her gaze stops on a woman she’s never seen before, definitely. She’s sure she would remember such a beautiful face. Her hair is short, black, and bluntly cut, which also goes for the gown she’s wearing. It hugs her body perfectly, Sooyoung muses idly. It must be tailored.

The woman looks over, probably having felt Sooyoung’s gaze on her. They lock eyes, and Sooyoung smirks slowly, raising her glass. This is nothing like how she acts to lure in the men she kills, of course; they like to see her as pretty, submissive, vapid. When it comes to the women she sleeps with, though, she’s been told she has a “smolder”. The woman definitely sees it, because she smiles back, excuses herself from the circle of people she’s standing in, and starts walking towards Sooyoung.

“You look like you have something to say,” she says in greeting, sliding into the seat beside Sooyoung at the bar.

“Just wanted to compliment you on your dress,” Sooyoung says, glancing appreciatively over her.

“Just?” the woman asks, almost with a pout.

Sooyoung laughs, and signals for the bartender to bring her another drink. “And buy you a drink, maybe? I’m Yves."  


“Jane,” says the woman, accepting the drink with a smile. “Thank you. Honestly, I was dying to excuse myself. Most boring conversation I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Let me guess. Business? Or is it medicine?” Sooyoung guesses.

“Worse. Finance,” Jane sighs dramatically.

“Yeah, that does suck,” Sooyoung says, and they clink their glasses in agreement. As Jane sips delicately, Sooyoung asks, “so what are you doing here if you’re not interested in finance?”

Jane gives a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s kind of a family business thing, just … I’m very new to all of this. I have no idea what I’m doing, if I’m being honest, and I feel way out of my league.”

“Hmm. I don’t know what that feels like. I’m perfect,” Sooyoung says, very seriously. It makes Jane laugh and smack her arm, her fingers ghosting along her wrist before pulling away.

They play this game of cat-and-mouse well into the night, circling around each other until Sooyoung doesn’t know which of them is the predator and which is the prey. Either way, it comes to a head when Jane leans in and whispers, “come up to my room for a nightcap?”

Sooyoung frowns, plays innocent. “The bar doesn’t close till 3 am.”

“I might keep you up longer than that,” Jane replies, her demure smile never betraying the suggestion of her words.

Sooyoung ends up kissing her in the elevator up, because why not? She deserves a treat tonight.

Of course, she doesn’t spend the night. She’s not that indulgent, or stupid. She’s already stayed at the scene of the crime for much longer than she’d expected. Although it was definitely more than worth it. Jane keeps her promise; the sun is rising by the time Sooyoung staggers back into her own hotel across the city. She checks her phone idly before bed, and the sight of a million dollars deposited into her bank account is just the thing to send her into a long, restful sleep.

She lets herself have a proper sleep-in the next morning, ordering a continental breakfast to eat in her queen-sized bed. While she drinks her bitter coffee, she pulls out her laptop to check her inbox. She runs a very discreet site, deep in the Dark Web, and that’s how she gets her hits. She sifts through the new requests, most of which are too risky or not well-paid enough to bother with, and then she sees the first promising request so far.

_ $2 million for Jo Haseul, heiress _ .

She’s never heard of this Haseul, which is good. People who are just rich are easier to kill than people who are rich  _ and  _ famous, Sooyoung finds. She does her research, but, there’s not much information about her, just that she’s an heiress to an impressive fortune and recently came into it after the death of her father, which also orphaned her. A classic case. Sooyoung shoots a message back to confirm that she’ll take on the challenge, already feeling the rush of adrenaline that comes with every new pursuit.

She spends the rest of the morning doing more research on Jo Haseul, compiling everything she can find in her trusty notebook. She plans everything out meticulously, of course. She likes everything tidy.

And this case, it seems, is anything but.

“Fuck,” she whispers, staring at the first picture of Haseul she’s managed to find. It’s a few years old, and she has long hair and bangs, but there’s no mistaking that face.

Killing someone she’s slept with … now that’s a new one.

* * *

The first chance Sooyoung gets to see Haseul again is a fundraising gala the next weekend. While you can’t access the guest list online, Sooyoung is sure Haseul will be invited, as well as her sizeable fortune. And Sooyoung’s gut is rarely wrong.

She doesn’t have an invite herself, but that’s never been an issue. She knows how to make herself look expensive, how to dress up so that she’ll never look out of place in the spots she frequents. Anonymity is one of the most important things on this job, which is why she’s so irked that Haseul knows who she is. Of course, she could dye her hair or try and change her appearance with makeup, but she knows there’ll be no point. You don’t exactly just forget someone who made you come like that, as she knows from experience..

She shows up midway through the event in an off-the-shoulder gown that has the maitre d’ practically drooling before she opens her mouth.

“Hi,” she says with a dazzling smile. “I’m Senator Lee’s plus-one.”

The man tears his eyes from her to look at the guestlist. “Uh, it says Senator Lee’s plus-one is his wife.”

“Oh, yes, I’m his  _ other  _ plus-one,” Sooyoung says, letting her voice drip with innuendo. “Unofficially, if you know what I mean.”

The man swallows and unhooks the red velvet rope barring the entrance, letting her go through. Sooyoung holds in her smile until she’s past the doors of the fancy hotel. God, it’s almost  _ too  _ easy sometimes.

She accepts a champagne glass from a passing waiter, sipping minutely at it as she observes her surroundings. The ballroom is bigger than some apartments she’s lived in, with a domed ceiling and crystal chandeliers hanging from it. Some people are dancing, others talking, many drinking. Sooyoung thinks if she wasn’t pursuing her current line of work, she could definitely be cut out for this kind of life too.

For now, it’s enough to just watch it from afar. Besides, she’s only looking for one person.

Haseul ends up being even more fashionably late than Sooyoung, coming through the doors almost a half hour later. Sooyoung has no trouble spotting her right away — she’s wearing the same dress as she was last week, so she looks like she’s walked straight out of Sooyoung’s memories. It’s very new money of her, Sooyoung thinks. Most of the other women in this room wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same outfit twice.

Haseul’s swarmed by people as soon as she walks in, probably already vying for donations, but she smiles and brushes them off politely, heading to the bar instead. Sooyoung follows, gracefully sliding to sit beside her and whispering in her ear.

“Jane. Or should I say Haseul?”

If Haseul’s surprised to see her, she doesn’t show it. She just smiles apologetically. “You got me. Sorry, sweetheart. Although I’m sure you understand why, now, especially with the fake name you gave me.”

“So you remember my name?” Sooyoung says, raising an eyebrow.

“ _ Yves _ ,” Haseul says slowly, and it makes Sooyoung shiver a little. She wonders how her real name would sound coming from the woman’s lips. “Not a name you easily forget.”

“Can’t say the same for Jane,” Sooyoung says, and it makes Haseul laugh, toying with her drink.

“Are you here with someone?” 

Sooyoung bites her lip, thinks for a moment. “No.” She knows it’s not smart to give out conflicting stories, but she knows that’s what Haseul wants to hear.

“Good,” Haseul purrs, hooking her ankle around Sooyoung’s, under the bar. Sooyoung feels heat where their skin meets, and she admits to herself what she’s known all night: she’s not here to kill Haseul. 

Someone else is, though.

Although Sooyoung’s quite distracted by Haseul playing footsie with her, there’s something in her peripheral vision that she can’t shake. A man is standing a few feet away from them, not talking to anyone or holding a drink. That’s strange enough as it is, but Sooyoung can also see how he keeps glancing over at them, far too often for it to be innocent. When he slowly reaches for his waistband, Sooyoung understands which a rush of shock.

There’s no time to warn Haseul before she grabs her shoulders and firmly throws her off the barstool. Haseul shrieks as she falls roughly to the floor, but it’s masked by the louder sound of a gunshot, and a bullet splinters the wood right where Haseul’s head would have been.

Sooyoung pulls out her gun, fast as a whip, but the ballroom has already descended into chaos. She catches sight of the man, running away, but everyone else is running too, and there’s no way she’s shooting into this crowd without murdering bystanders. Instead, she uses the opportunity to grab a shock-frozen Haseul and haul her out of the emergency exit.

“Do you have a room here?” Sooyoung asks urgently, once they get into a stairwell. Haseul just opens her mouth slightly, beginning to shake. 

“I’m sorry,” Sooyoung says, before she slaps Haseul sharply, the sound echoing in the narrow space. Thankfully, Haseul reacts right away, yelping and clutching a hand to her face.

“What the fuck!” she exclaims.

“Tell your room number,” Sooyoung demands. “We have to get out of here.”

Haseul exhales heavily and nods, ruffling in her bag with shaky hands till she produces a key card. “Here,” she says, and Sooyoung accepts it, dragging them both up the stairs two at a time.

She gives Haseul the shawl she’s wearing over her shoulders, and instructs her to cover her head with it. She doubts the shooter is up here, but she can’t be too careful. She keeps her gun concealed and at the ready, but thankfully everyone they pass in the corridors doesn’t give them a second glance, and they make it back to the room without any further ado. 

Of course, the room is a penthouse suite, and there’s a girl sitting on the couch and doing her nails. When she sees Haseul’s pale, slap-marked appearance and Sooyoung holding the gun, she jumps up, spilling the nail polish everywhere.

“Who are you?” she yells at Sooyoung, even though she’s clearly scared. This must be Yeojin, her younger step-sister.

“Shh!” Sooyoung shushes, putting the gun down. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“She saved me,” Haseul says, her voice wobbly. Sooyoung can tell the shock is wearing off, so she gently leads her to the couch and sits her down before she can burst into tears.

“What happened?!” Yeojin asks, concern marring her features as she holds her crying sister.

“Someone shot at her at the gala,” Sooyoung says, shushing Yeojin again when she gasps loudly. “I tried to shoot back, but he ran away before I could.”

“Why the hell do  _ you  _ have a gun?” Yeojin asks, whisper-yelling.

Sooyoung’s mind whirrs. “I’m a … private agent. I was hired to protect Haseul. Uh, Ms. Jo,” she lies. It’s not even as far-fetched as the actual truth, really, and she can tell they both believe it.

“Is that how you knew who I was?” Haseul asks, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” Sooyoung lies. “Listen, we shouldn’t stay here. You have security at your house, don’t you? You should really move there.”

Haseul nods, taking a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll call the limo and have them pick us up, with added security cars.”

“I’ll do it,” Yeojin says, patting her sister’s hand. She looks over at Sooyoung with gratitude in her eyes. “Will you stay with her?”

“Please,” Haseul adds, her eyelashes sparkling with wetness. Sooyoung caves embarrassingly fast.

“Of course,” she says, taking Yeojin’s place as she goes to make the car arrangements. Haseul’s quiet the whole ride home, peering out vacantly through the tinted windows. Of course the Jos live in a gated community, and they have the extra security stay camped outside. Sooyoung realizes that she’s led Haseul into a fucking fortress, basically, and there’s no way she’ll be able to kill her now. Somehow, the thought doesn’t upset her  _ too  _ much.

Yeojin asks her inside for a cup of tea, and she accepts because honestly, she could use it. Haseul immediately goes to her room, which makes Yeojin look concerned, but she looks much better when she emerges again, face washed and in an oversized t-shirt. She joins them for some tea (Yeojin wisely picked the calming type) and Sooyoung can see the color slowly return to her face as she talks with them about bland, unimportant things.

When Yeojin excuses herself to sleep, Sooyoung can only handle the tense silence between them for a few moments before she clears her throat and stands up. “I should probably get going, as well. It’s late.”

Haseul stands too, gripping her wrist loosely. She looks up at her through thick eyelashes, still tear-clumped, and says in a voice barely above a whisper, “stay.”

Sooyoung shouldn’t. She knows she shouldn’t. She’s dug herself deep enough into this hole and she needs to get out while she still can. But the way Haseul’s looking at her, like Sooyoung’s holding her heart and it’ll shatter if she leaves — it’s all the incentive Sooyoung needs to drop everything and link her hand with Haseul’s, the shorter girl leading the way to her bedroom.

This time is nothing like the last; it’s slow, gentle, but still burning with passion. Sooyoung treats Haseul like fine china, afraid to break her, and she knows that’s bad because it means she cares about the girl. She can’t bring herself to feel bad about it, though, not when everything feels so right with Haseul.

She still sneaks out before the dawn breaks. She won’t let herself lose sight of what she is or who she does. Whether it’s work or pleasure, she always leaves before the morning.

* * *

Sooyoung wakes to an incessant knocking on her door. She clutches her pillow tightly to her head and tries to fall back asleep, but it’s impossible with the banging, which keeps growing louder the longer she ignores it. Gritting her teeth, she rolls out of bed and prepares to yell at housekeeping about leaving her alone before 12.

What she doesn’t expect is to find two burly men in black suits and sunglasses. She vaguely recognizes them as two of Haseul’s security guards, and freezes in the doorway. “What the—”

“Yves?” one of the men asks, and then without waiting for an answer, “Ms. Jo requests your presence.”

Sooyoung blinks, still not fully awake. “I— okay. Can I get dressed first?”

The men look at each other, then nod silently, making no move to leave. She sighs and slams the door in their faces, getting dressed as quickly as possible and making sure to conceal a knife in her waistband, just in case.

The ride over is silent and daunting, leaving Sooyoung to brood in the backseat. These men must have followed her to the hotel when she snuck out last night. She can’t believe she didn’t make sure to check if she was being followed or not. Now that she’s back in her rational mind, she realizes how alarmingly fast Haseul is getting her to put her walls down around her. She knows she needs to put distance between them, to change her face and name again, to run and never look back.

Of course, all those thoughts dissolve when Haseul greets her at the door, looking faintly annoyed. “You didn’t stay for breakfast.”

Sooyoung leans against the doorframe, enjoying the height she has on Haseul. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Haseul’s expression softens, and she starts to walk down the hallway, indicating that Sooyoung should follow. “I’m not the one who wants you here, actually. My aunt wanted to speak to you after I told her what you did for me.”

“Your aunt?”

“She’s also our financial advisor, and generally handles our affairs since…” Haseul trails off. “Well, since Dad died.”

“Ah,” Sooyoung says. Thankfully she doesn’t have to root around for something sympathetic to say, because they enter the living room, where a well-dressed woman is perched at the table. She instantly jumps up to greet the two, pulling out chairs for them.

“You must be Yves? Please, call me Ara,” she says, shaking Sooyoung’s hand warmly.

“Nice to meet you,” Sooyoung replies. The woman doesn’t look much older than Haseul herself, but she definitely has a more professional air to her; she’s dressed business casual like Sooyoung, and Haseul looks out of place in jeans and a flannel.

“Firstly, I have to thank you. Seulie told me how you saved her, and I just… I’m very grateful.” 

Ara’s eyes shine with emotion, which makes Sooyoung cough uncomfortably.

“Ah, it was nothing,” Sooyoung says awkwardly. 

“Oh, don’t be modest, please,” Ara says. “Of course, I would insist on paying you, but Haseul tells me you’re an agent? Already hired to protect her?”

“Yes,” Sooyoung says. Number one rule when spinning a story: keep it brief. Less details means less room to fuck up.

“But, you see, I’m the family’s financial advisor, and I can’t seem to find any record of you being paid to do so,” Ara says, looking puzzled.

“Her father called in a personal favor,” Sooyoung responds, the lies coming naturally. “I was told if he were ever to pass that I should keep an eye on her.”

“Oh,” Ara says, eyes widening. “Well, that’s awfully kind of you, Yves. Clearly, he was right to do so. It makes me shudder to think that that man is still out there…”

Haseul places a comforting hand on Ara’s shoulder. “We already have detectives working on it, Ara,” she says gently. “I’m sure the case will be solved in no time.”

Ara nods, wiping her eyes delicately. “Yes, I’m sure. And we’ll be sure to amp up security from now on, won’t we? Well, Yves, thank you for coming to meet us today. I still must insist on rewarding you for your bravery.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Sooyoung automatically says, but Ara is already pulling out a checkbook, scribbling her signature onto it and printing a number that makes Sooyoung’s ears perk up.

“Here,” she says, ripping the check out and handing it to Sooyoung. “We really can’t thank you enough, Yves. Haseul, will you show her out? We need to discuss further safety measures.”

Haseul nods, and walks back in the direction where they came. Sooyoung follows, and has to hold back a grin when Haseul turns a different corner, leading them to where Sooyoung knows the bedrooms are.

“Really?” she says with a laugh when Haseul drags her into her room.

“Well, you left before you could finish what you started,” Haseul says, deft fingers already working to unbutton Sooyoung’s shirt.

“I thought I did finish. And so did you. Several times,” Sooyoung reminds her, and then Haseul’s kissing the smirk off her face and she can’t help but melt into it.

When Haseul moves to slip her shirt over her shoulders, Sooyoung tilts her head back. “I really should go.”

Haseul steps back, folds her arms. “So go,” she says, and Sooyoung can’t figure out her tone. “What’s stopping you?”

Sooyoung hesitates, but there isn’t much to think about. She gathers Haseul into her arms again, carrying her to the bed, and she isn’t even fooling herself when she tells herself this will be the last time. 

* * *

Sooyoung sneaks out of the back so that Ara doesn’t see her walk of shame, feeling like a teenager as Haseul giggles after her and blows kisses from the window. The buoyant feeling dissolves into something heavier as she walks back to her hotel, though. As much fun as she’s having with Haseul, she knows it can’t last. Someone literally hired her — as well as other people, clearly — to kill Haseul. The whole situation is a mess, and she really knows she should cut her losses and get out while she can.

On the other hand, though, she’s made enough in her lifetime to live comfortably for a little while. She’s just afraid that it’ll never be long enough, not with Haseul. Something about her makes Sooyoung want to put down roots, which is exactly what she’s worked against her whole life. Except … now she can’t really remember why. Not when being with Haseul makes her feel more whole than the money she’d get from killing her could. 

She goes to the bank on the way back home, depositing the generous check from Ara. She supposes she’s ordering caviar tonight, then. When she gets back to the hotel she takes a long, relaxing bath and reclines on the bed with her computer. The first order of business is to check her bank account, like she does every night. She’ll never forget the life of poverty and struggle that led her to this line of work in the first place. Although her bank account hasn’t dipped below a million for quite a few years now, it still soothes her to check, like a compulsive habit.

Something isn’t adding up, though. She frowns at the screen showing her recent transactions, first thinking that it must be a banking error. Then the puzzle pieces start to click into place, and her mouth drops open as realization hits. The bank account number from Ara’s check is the same one that sent her the deposit for the hit on Haseul.

She should have known, she thinks bitterly as she gets dressed in a flash. It’s almost always family.

She rents a car from the hotel valet and drives it recklessly, finishing the hour-long drive to Haseul’s house in under twenty minutes. The security guards recognize her and let her past the gates, and she rings the doorbell multiple times in quick succession.

The door is flung open by Ara, who looks annoyed, but she smooths her face over when she sees Sooyoung. “Oh, hello, Yves! Fancy seeing you so soon.”

“Can I come in?” Sooyoung asks shortly. She’d love nothing more than to pin her to the ground here and now, but she knows if she makes a move on her the security guards will be on her in a second. Ara lets her in, and she waits until the door is closed before shoving Ara up against it in a chokehold.

“It’s you, isn’t it? You called the hit on Haseul, and you probably murdered her father,” Sooyoung hisses. Ara’s face goes from panicked to shocked, and then she rearranges it in a cold smile.

“You’re good, aren’t you?” she says. “But I am too.”

Ara smacks her leg sharply against Sooyoung’s knees, making them buckle. She falls roughly on her elbow, hissing at the pain, but what’s worse is that her gun flies out of her belt buckle on impact. She instantly reaches out for it, but Ara steps on her arm  _ hard _ , making her scream, and then she grabs the gun herself and turns it on Sooyoung.

“Idiot,” she says with contempt. “You really think you can threaten me in my own home?”

“It’s not your home,” Sooyoung snaps, even though she’s in no position to talk back.

“It will be, soon,” Ara says with an unnerving smile. “I’ll be damned if I’ll let you get in my way.”

“Yves? Ara?! What the hell is going on?!”

Sooyoung’s head snaps to the side to see Haseul, standing in the doorway with a look of horror. “Ara, what are you doing? Get that gun away from her!”

“It’s self-defence, Haseul! She’s trying to kill me!” Ara exclaims, sounding convincingly scared. Haseul turns her wide-eyed expression on her, and Sooyoung wants to tell her that no, she would  _ never  _ hurt her, but it’s not the time for sentiments. She takes advantage of Ara being distracted to surge up and drag her to the floor by her shirt, rolling her over so she’s straddling her and swiping the gun in one movement.

“Haseul, she’s the one who’s trying to kill you,” Sooyoung says. “She’s using your father’s money to call hits on you, trying to get to your fortune.”

Haseul shakes her head frantically. “What? No, that can’t be true. Ara, tell her.”

Ara knows she’s lost, though, and her face contorts into a mocking sneer. “ _ Tell her, Ara _ . God, you’ve always been so naive, Seulie. You and your sister are so spoilt, so sheltered — you wouldn’t even know what to do with all that money.”

“Fucking hell,” Haseul whispers, looking harrowed, and yelps when Sooyoung cocks her gun. “Yves, wait!! Don’t sh—”

Sooyoung aims her gun into the ceiling, firing a shot into the light fixture. Security bursts through the front door like she’d expected, even as the bulb bursts and glass flies everywhere. The guards grab onto her instantly, disarming her, but then Haseul yells at them to get Ara, who’s trying to slip unnoticed out of the door.

Sooyoung stays with Haseul until the police come to carry away a near-hysterical Ara away in the back of a squad car. Haseul’s stopped crying and just looks tired now, curled into a ball against Sooyoung’s side and watching the cleaners sweep away the broken glass.

“Thank god Yeojin’s at school,” she sighs, resting her head against Sooyoung’s shoulder. “Jesus, this is all such a fucking mess.”

“I’m really sorry, Haseul,” Sooyoung says, genuinely meaning it.

“No, don’t be sorry. I should be thanking you.” Haseul sniffs. “I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you. Thank you, Yves.”

“Sooyoung,” she blurts out. “That’s my real name.” She figures she owes it to Haseul to give her  _ some  _ honesty, and it’s definitely worth it when Haseul gives her a real smile.

“Sooyoung,” she repeats, and it sounds just as beautiful on her tongue as Sooyoung thought it would. 

Haseul doesn’t have to ask Sooyoung to stay this time. There’s an unspoken agreement between the two — when the last of the police clear out and they’re alone in the house, Sooyoung follows Haseul up to her bedroom. Every night with Haseul is better than the last, especially because tonight Sooyoung gets to hear her real name slip past Haseul’s lips, like a prayer.

Haseul falls asleep quite soon after, emotionally tired after the past few days she’s had. Sooyoung is content to lie with her, studying her beautiful face in the moonlight and relishing the feeling of a warm body pressed against hers. Haseul’s breathing is slow, rhythmic, and Sooyoung doesn’t even realize she’s been lulled to sleep until she’s blinking awake the next morning, sunlight staining her eyelids from the open window.

Haseul’s still sleeping, looking angelic even with her face smushed up against the pillow. Sooyoung knows she could probably leave now without waking her, but she doesn’t want to. Even though she can’t remember the last time she didn’t sleep alone, she can’t deny it’s the best sleep she’s had in a long time, the type that makes you want to melt into the mattress and doze off again.

Which she must do, because she wakes what could be minutes or hours later to Haseul pressing soft kisses to her neck. “You stayed,” she whispers, hiding the joy against Sooyoung’s skin.

“Well, your bed is nicer than mine,” Sooyoung mumbles, rolling Haseul over onto her back to give her a proper kiss.

When she pulls back she sees that Haseul’s frowning a little. “What’s the matter?” Sooyoung asks, kissing away the little furrow between her brows.

“Everything,” Haseul grumbles, but leans into Sooyoung’s touch. “Yeojin has her boarding school, and she’ll be safe there, but I … I just don’t know if I can stay in this big house, all alone. I’m scared, Sooyoung."

“Hey, don’t be,” Sooyoung says, stroking Haseul’s back soothingly. “Ara is definitely going behind bars. You’re safe now.  _ I’ll _ keep you safe.”

The unexpected promise makes Haseul smile, but her brows are still knitted together. “I don’t doubt that, honey. Still, I just don’t want to be here. There’s too many memories.” From the way her eyes well up slightly, Sooyoung can guess she’s thinking about her dad. 

“So leave,” Sooyoung says simply. “For a little while, at least. Just go somewhere completely different, get a change of pace, and then see where your head’s at.”

Haseul chews her lip, thinking it over. “You sound like you do this a lot.”

“In this field, yes,” Sooyoung says. "I do."

“So will you come with me?” Haseul says, linking their fingers.

“I… it’s not that simple,” Sooyoung murmurs, although her heart knows the answer it wants to give. “I have other cases too, you know.”

“Well, just for a little while. Isn’t that what you said?” Haseul challenges. “Besides, you wouldn’t have to take on any cases. I could make sure we lived like royals without even having to lift a finger.”

Sooyoung laughs, affection blossoming in her chest. “As nice as being your trophy wife sounds, I’d go crazy without my work. But a vacation does sound nice.”

Haseul smiles so wide her eyes crinkle into half-moons. “Let’s do it, then. Where shall we go?”

“The Bahamas sound nice in this cold,” Sooyoung muses. “Though Paris would be beautiful, too…”

Sooyoung loves lazy mornings in bed. This one is her favorite, she thinks, eating plain toast with Haseul among the fluffy sheets while looking up plane tickets. Haseul scolds her when she drops crumbs everywhere, and Sooyoung is terrified of the way this girl makes her heart feel: soft, airy like a cloud.. 

A good fear, though, she thinks. The kind she gets right before a kill, knowing everything can change in a minute and accepting the feeling of dropping off a cliff into the unknown. And though she’s not one for celebrating early, she can’t help but feel triumphant with every kiss Haseul gives her, knowing there are many more to come.

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](http://twitter.com/bluejinsol) / [cc](http://curiouscat.me/oddeyejinsol)


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